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What is Taido
In Japanese, TAIDO means "the way of the body in harmony with the spirit." However, this alone does not fully define it, as all Budo disciplines share similar aspirations.
What sets Taido apart is its foundation in three core principles:
Taiki (体気) – Mastery of breath control
Doko (動行) – Fluid and dynamic movement
Seigyo (制御) – Effective control, particularly over an opponent
Taido is not just a martial art; it is a philosophy of movement, breath, and control, practiced with these three essential elements in mind.
Taido is built upon five fundamental principles that form the foundation of all its techniques: Sen, Un, Hen, Nen, and Ten.
To facilitate learning and deepen the understanding of these concepts, S. Shukumine drew analogies between each technique group and natural phenomena. By doing so, practitioners focus on the essence of each technique while visualizing the movements of nature, making Taido both an art and an expression of natural harmony.
Sengi
Sen is a rotating movement around the center of the body. From this rotation, power is gained. In nature, sen resembles a whirl wind.
Ungi
Un is a movement that (rises and) falls, much like a wave hitting the rocks. All jumping techniques are placed in this category.
Hengi
When using the hen principle, the body drops to the ground, while at the same time another part of the body (most often a foot or two) rises to attack the opponent. Thus, the attacked part of the body (e.g. the head) moves away from where it was, much like the way a cloud evades a strong wind.
Nengi
The nen principle is like sen rotating, but at a different angle. Nen techniques are mainly legs, or body drops.
Tengi
The Ten principle is using acrobatic techniques like somersaults or turning cartwheels to enhance the power in the technique.